The Competition Gets Younger

ARKANSAS WOMEN USE LOCAL JUNIOR TO IMPROVE GAME

By Ron Cioffi/USTA Southern

Emily Metcalf is ranked No. 2 in Arkansas for her age.

It’s great when team practices push players to excel. This team has looked outside the usual circle to improve its players’ strokes.

Tina Coots’ Arkansas Women’s 3.5 team used an unusual foe to improve their team’s skills: a 12-year-old girl. But, she’s not any junior. Captain Coots said, “She can kick our butts.”

The junior is Emily Metcalf, a rising Jonesboro youngster ranked  No. 2 in the state by www.TennisRecruiting.net, a well-known web site that evaluates and ranks top juniors throughout the country. The site lists her as No. 290 in her age bracket in the U.S.

Alex Rivas, coaches both Coots’ team and Metcalf out of Three Oaks Racquet Club in Jonesboro. He’s invited the girl to battle with the Women’s team singles players in practices.

“I’m serious about how good she is,” Coots said. “She’s about nip and tuck with our best singles players. She’s made us better and I think we’ve made her better.”

The Arkansas team has soared with standout results, going undefeated in the regular season. In the State tournament, “We needed a lot of tiebreakers to get here,” she added.

Coots estimated Metcalf is “about 5’3” and 100 pounds” but she hits the ball harder and deeper than women. “She’s with us about 80 percent of the time. She’s in our drills and then plays a set with us.”

Tina Coots (center, white skirt) has lead her team to Birmingham.